Ford might not be the only automaker to offer carbon fiber wheels with its vehicles.

It appears that General Motors is also looking at the possibility of optional carbon fiber wheels from some of its vehicles, according to a recent Autoblog report.

Like Ford, GM will likely turn to Carbon Revolution to supply its offerings. According to the GM light polymer systems manager, William Rodgers, the Cadillac V-Series models would be candidates to receive the wheels while it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro sports car also have the option.

Although carbon fiber wheels are expensive, they could reduce weight by 35 pounds per vehicle, according to GM. In addition, they improve driving dynamics because they’re stiffer while offering lower unsprung and rotational mass. The American automaker is testing the carbon fiber wheels to see how they withstand potholes and general use, as well as examining repair costs. For now, Rodgers says that replacing a damaged carbon fiber wheel would be most likely.

There’s currently no time frame as to how soon GM will add carbon fiber wheels as options for its vehicles.

]]>http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2016/05/gm-also-looking-to-offer-carbon-fiber-wheels.html/feed1more]]>Ford GT to Offer Carbon Fiber Wheelshttp://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2016/05/ford-gt-to-offer-carbon-fiber-wheels.html
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2016/05/ford-gt-to-offer-carbon-fiber-wheels.html#commentsTue, 17 May 2016 12:21:57 +0000http://www.autoguide.com/?p=398072Ford GT to Offer Carbon Fiber WheelsFord will offer its new GT with carbon fiber wheels to help the car save weight. This will be the second Ford vehicle after the Shelby GT350R to offer carbon fiber wheels, an upgrade that helps to save unsprung wheel weight and add structural stiffness. Each carbon fiber wheel saves a little more than two... more]]> [See image gallery at www.autoguide.com]

Ford will offer its new GT with carbon fiber wheels to help the car save weight.

This will be the second Ford vehicle after the Shelby GT350R to offer carbon fiber wheels, an upgrade that helps to save unsprung wheel weight and add structural stiffness. Each carbon fiber wheel saves a little more than two pounds compared to the GT’s standard forged aluminum wheels.

Unlike the Shelby GT350R, the GT’s wheels will offer two finish options: a matte finish or glossy clearcoat. Each will allow the carbon fiber weave to be shown off, complementing the other exposed carbon fiber seen on the car’s sills, fascias and heat extractors.

Reducing the weight of the wheels helps the suspension keep the tire in contact with the road while also improving steering feel and noise, vibration and harshness.

Just 500 GTs will be built over the new two years with 250 available in 2016 and the other half coming in 2017. Each customer will have the choice to order the carbon fiber wheels, though Ford did not release pricing.

The 2017 Ford GT will likely offer carbon fiber wheels as an option when it goes on sale.

The American automaker has already teamed up with Australia-based Carbon Revolution to offer carbon fiber wheels on the Ford Shelby Mustang GT350R and the Ford GT sports car could be the next production model to benefit.

The GT350R’s carbon fiber wheels weigh just 18 pounds apiece, which is about 15 lbs less than comparable aluminum wheels, according to Ford. No official announcement has been made by the American automaker, but Ford spokesman Paul Seredynski confirmed to Autoblog that carbon fiber wheels are “something we’re looking at,” and alluded that they’d likely be optional equipment rather than standard.

In the past 10 months, Carbon Revolution has doubled its number of employees to 100, more than half of which had previously worked in nearby factories for Ford and aluminum company Alcoa. The company hopes to produce 50,000 wheels annually within the first two years, helping cut costs and allowing Ford to equip even more vehicles with the technology.

The 2017 Ford GT is expected to be powered by a 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 engine producing over 600 horsepower while mated to a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission.

]]>http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2015/10/2017-ford-gt-could-get-carbon-fiber-wheels.html/feed1more]]>Ford Details Shelby GT350R Carbon Fiber Wheelshttp://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2015/07/ford-details-shelby-gt350r-carbon-fiber-wheels.html
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2015/07/ford-details-shelby-gt350r-carbon-fiber-wheels.html#commentsFri, 10 Jul 2015 21:09:04 +0000http://www.autoguide.com/?p=322166Ford Details Shelby GT350R Carbon Fiber WheelsThe Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang will be the first vehicle from a major automaker to come standard with carbon fiber wheels. As the most track-ready, road-going production Ford Mustang ever, the American automaker knew it had to do more than just shove horsepower under the hood with its new flat-plane V8 engine. The company teamed up... more]]>

The Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang will be the first vehicle from a major automaker to come standard with carbon fiber wheels.

As the most track-ready, road-going production Ford Mustang ever, the American automaker knew it had to do more than just shove horsepower under the hood with its new flat-plane V8 engine. The company teamed up with Australian supplier Carbon Revolution to take on the challenge of crafting the first mass-produced, track-capable carbon fiber wheels as standard equipment for the sports car, helping save weight while also improving driving dynamics.

Although Carbon Revolution had experience producing carbon fiber wheels mainly for aftermarket use, Ford recognized that “significant innovation” would be needed to meet the Shelby GT350R’s needs. The wheels would have to endure tests that include curb strikes, UV and chemical exposure, as well as extreme heat durability testing.

Along with abusive and intentional curb testing and track testing, Ford measured brake temperatures to ensure the wheel design would conform to a thermal standard more suitable for motorsports. The result is not only the first mass-produced carbon fiber wheel, but a product that features a special coating that was developed to protect the resin from harsh UV environments, corrosive salts and road chemicals.

Before getting mounted and bolted onto the Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang, each wheel is analyzed using a 3D computerized tomography (CT) imaging process, taking more than 18,000 X-ray images as part of its inspection process.

According to Ford, the wheels weigh about 18 lbs a piece, compared to 33 lbs for a standard aluminum wheel, and reduces rotational inertia by over 40 percent.

The new Mustang is a crowd pleaser, blending retro design touches with the latest performance technology. Shelby versions of Ford’s famous filly promise to deliver even more speed, kicking this hallowed nameplate squarely into the sports-car fray.

The Mustang “defines and represents the heart and soul of the company,” said Dave Pericak, director, Global Ford Performance. The GT350 and its crazed counterpart, the GT350R, should send “a huge message of what Ford’s all about,” he said.

These two models build on the standard car’s already granite foundation and transform it into something more. For drivers that want a weekend race machine, one of these could be your track-day chariot.

The new Shelby Mustangs feature a high-winding V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft and more than 500 horses. They slice through the wind with improved aerodynamics and even feature interior changes to make both aggressive driving and weekday commuting pleasant affairs.

Of course the chassis is critical in delivering maximum performance and Ford engineers have comprehensively revised these cars’ underbody bits to make them turn quicker, handle better and stop in much shorter distances.

Suspension 101

Overall the suspension has been totally redesigned to suit the mission of these ‘Stangs. The aluminum front steering knuckles are all new and feature updated hubs that are both lighter and stiffer. The bushings are more rigid, the stabilizer bars are larger in diameter and even the wheel bearings have been replaced by heavy-duty units for enhanced lateral stiffness.

According to Adam Wirth, suspension, wheel and tire supervisor at Ford Performance, 90 percent of the suspension has been altered in some way. Additionally the Shelby cars have a wider front track.

These are all pretty common-sense changes, things car enthusiasts would expect engineers to do to a high-performance model, but they’re hardly the only enhancements made.

Better Binders

Brakes are mission critical when it comes to posting wickedly fast lap times. It’s not just power that gets you around a circuit; being able to slow down quickly and repeatedly is key.

“[This is] the most durable system I’ve ever driven on the track,” said Eric Zinkosky, suspension and vehicle dynamics technical specialist. The new Shelby Mustangs feature brakes that look like top-secret military hardware that was ripped off a fighter jet.

The front rotors are massive, spanning 394 millimeters, which is more than 15.5 inches. The rears are nearly as large at 380 millimeters.

Each rotor is made in two sections. The outer portion is made of iron and pinned in a radial fashion to the hub section, which is fabricated of cast aluminum. This arrangement allows the rotor to expand and contract without distorting; it also protects the wheel bearings from heat. “You only see this on high-end, world-class sports cars,” said Wirth.

The calipers that clamp down on these metal disks are comically large; the fronts brandish six pistons and are about as large as a football. Despite wearing Brembo badging the braking system was essentially designed in house by Ford; it was custom built to their specifications.

Because of the design of this system the rear rotors feature a drum-in-hat parking brake, which is unique to GT350 models and seems a bit archaic, but whatever. All told these are the largest brakes ever installed on a Mustang.

Lightweight Wheels

Pressed against those massive rotors are equally impressive rims. The “standard” GT350 rides on lightweight 19-inch cast-aluminum wheels. The fronts are 10.5 inches wide while the rears span 11. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this arrangement until you compare it to what the GT350R rolls on.

These models get cutting-edge wheels made of carbon fiber. In total this move saves about 50 pounds, roughly 13 per rim. And this difference is dramatic; it’s easy to pick up one of these wheels and dandle it about like it’s a bag of pretzels.

This engineering change pays huge dividends. Both unsprung AND rotational mass are significantly reduced, which is doubly beneficial to things like handling, acceleration and ride quality. Also, because of this dramatic weight savings Wirth said the suspension tuning had to be altered since the wheels have so much less mass to cope with.

Protecting the carbon fiber and its bonding resin from heat radiated by the rotors, the inner surfaces of these rims are coated with ceramic. This material is applied using a plasma-spray process, much like the cylinder liners of certain high-performance engines.

Aside from weight savings, carbon-fiber has other benefits compared to aluminum. For starters it doesn’t fatigue. “There is no propagation [of cracks],” said Wirth. If you smack a pothole and split an aluminum rim that fissure will eventually grow and cause an air leak. This isn’t a problem with carbon fiber.

Regarding these wheels Wirth said, “It was two years in the making.” When the GT350R goes on sale Ford will become the first mass-market automaker to introduce carbon-fiber rims. When asked about dollars and cents Wirth said, “It doesn’t cost what an aluminum wheel cost … It’s a lot,” though he would not say how much more.

The GT350R’s tires are also bespoke, specially formulated versions of Michelin’s Pilot Sport Cup 2. These rubbers should be stickier than melted chewing gum.

MagnaRide

The new Shelby GT350 Mustangs are the first Ford vehicle in history to feature MaganRide, an electrically adjustable suspension system. It constantly monitors what’s going on with parameters ranging from steering angle and wheel position, to temperature and vehicle position. With all of these data points factored in it can change damping in just 7 milliseconds. Altogether MagnaRide should improve vehicle handling and ultimately driver confidence.

Odds and ends

Beyond these major enhancements the new Shelby cars feature a standard strut-tower brace for even greater body rigidity. Their hoods are lower than a standard Mustang’s for better aerodynamics. They feature carbon-fiber reinforced grille supports that are both lighter and stiffer. Additionally these cars feature symmetrically wound coil springs. Normally these suspension components are all made the same, which can cause slight variations from side to side. By winding the coils in opposite directions these subtle differences are eliminated and any handling issues are sent out to pasture.

Ensuring the flat-plane-crank-equipped V8 can keep the chassis – and more importantly driver – entertained the powertrain has been fitted with transmission, oil and differential coolers. With these enhancements, “They are bulletproof,” said Zinkosky.

Steve Ling, Ford’s car marketing manager said the Shelby GT350 and GT350R are slated to arrive at dealerships this fall and are projected to sell in similar volume to the previous-generation GT500. For context, in 2013 the company built fewer than 5,000 of these cars.

Of course pricing is under wraps at this time and when pressed, Ling was tight lipped. When asked if these cars would top the $100,000 mark he said they would not. “I think people will be very pleased with the price.” A Look Underneath the Shelby GT350

]]>http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2015/05/shelby-gt350-chassis-deep-dive.html/feed0more]]>DMC Lamborghini Murcielago Quattro Veloce Gets White Carbon Fiber Wheelshttp://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2010/05/dmc-lamborghini-murcielago-quattro-veloce-gets-white-carbon-fiber-wheels.html
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2010/05/dmc-lamborghini-murcielago-quattro-veloce-gets-white-carbon-fiber-wheels.html#respondWed, 26 May 2010 22:23:22 +0000http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/?p=20963DMC Lamborghini Murcielago Quattro Veloce Gets White Carbon Fiber WheelsEver heard of DMC? Neither have we, but the tuner of high-priced exotics has just released a styling kit for the ever-popular Lamborghini Murciélago and has named it, Quattro Veloce. Starting with the aesthetics, the body is refitted with lightweight carbon fiber which includes a carbon fiber spoiler, hood, side vents and rear diffuser. Then... more]]>

Ever heard of DMC? Neither have we, but the tuner of high-priced exotics has just released a styling kit for the ever-popular Lamborghini Murciélago and has named it, Quattro Veloce.

Starting with the aesthetics, the body is refitted with lightweight carbon fiber which includes a carbon fiber spoiler, hood, side vents and rear diffuser. Then it’s almost impossible to miss the white carbon fiber wheels, a world’s first. Given that carbon fiber has just recently shown up on wheels, it’s no surprise that color variants are on the horizon.

On the inside, DMC went the luxurious route of ostrich hide for re-upholstering the headrests, while various areas of the cabin receives ostrich-style cow hide for durability.

The car continues to be powered by the factory 6.5L V12, pumping out 670 adrenaline-inducing horsepower with over 485 ft-lbs of torque. DMC tosses in a custom red carbon fiber cage surrounding the heart of the bull.

So you have to be asking, what’s the price tag on this premium luxury kit? Well for starters, there is going to be a very strict limited edition of 40. And you better believe when DMC says 40, they absolutely mean 40. For close to $75,000 you will have the kit installed by DMC themselves, transporting your car to and from Dusseldorf. If you want the leather overhaul, carbon fiber seats and wheels, be prepared to fork over $124,000 or so. Forgo the installation by DMC themselves and save yourself $25,000.